It's 2023, and many people will be still setting their intentions for the year. Personally, one of my main goals for this year is to cook more. I've tried the whole giving up clothes shopping thing and trying to not buy books... but it just doesn't work for me.
Admittedly, I often leave the majority of the kitchen duties to my partner, for the simple fact that he's much better at it than I am. Much, much better. But, if you're not good at something and you don't try, you'll never get good at it, right? This is the attitude I'm trying to have this year!
So, with that in mind, I trawled TikTok for some recipes to inspire me - and my interest was piqued when I stumbled across the viral 'Viking toast' concotion.
A Welsh rarebit-style treat, Viking toast claims to be a less calorific alternative to your average cheese on toast. It first featured in a Pinch of Nom's new cookbook, which is hugely popular with people who are trying to be a little healthier. Since then, it's been swirling around social media and has gone viral on Facebook thanks to its intriguing name and tasty flavour.
"Why is it called Viking toast?", I hear you ask. Well, Pinch of Nom said: "Inspired by the melty cheese and onion from our Viking Pork recipe, we thought we'd try out the same golden, tangy topping on toast (and it works a treat!)."
The team at Pinch of Nom, who created a series of books that are well-loved thanks to the accessible and fun recipes for those looking for healthy alternatives, admit that even they are unsure of the exact origins of the Viking connotation, as they wrote on the original pork recipe: "We're not sure where the Viking name originated, but we think it describes the bold and tangy flavours in this dish, so we kept the name anyway!"
When it comes to making Viking toast, you'll need half an onion, 40g of reduced-fat cheddar cheese, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, an egg yolk, milk, salt and pepper and some bread. If made to the exact recipe specifications, it contains only 300 calories per serving, which could make a good breakfast or lunch. So, I popped to the shop, gathered my goodies and was ready to make some lunch for my partner to surprise him.
The cooking method is really simple - you need to chop half an onion finely, put oil on medium heat and grate the cheddar. Then, add your onions to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes, take it out, and combine it in a bowl with the grated cheese.
After that, add half a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, a pinch of mustard powder, the egg yolk and milk. Season with sea salt and pepper and then combine everything really well so it's a decent mixture.
Then, add the mix on top of your bread of choice before grilling it for three to four minutes - or until the cheese is melted and golden - and serve immediately.
When I say it's a serious upgrade from your standard sliced cheese on toast, I mean it. The extra ingredients completely elevates the taste, and it's a totally satisfying lunchtime treat. This is likely to be a trend that won't be fleeting - why simply whack some cheese on bread when you can stir up a bowl of tasty bits and bobs that will makes for a far more satisfying lunch? The creamy cheese and onion flavour truly dance on your tongue.
It definitely has similarities to Welsh Rarebit, and overall took around five minutes to prep all the ingredients and an extra four under the grill, so it won't eat too much into your break time to make it.
As the recipe uses reduced-fat cheese, it also felt less heavy, and it felt like I had more energy to face the rest of the day. At 300 calories per serving, I don't think anyone will be complaining about this tasty little recipe.
Will you be trying Viking toast? Let us know in the comments.
